The Lost Twins of Apollo
by guitar848
Summary: Elise Moreau had long since given up on a normal life. After the tragedy of her past, she'd lost herself in the solitary life of a Huntress, wandering the Earth in search of a way to bury the pain. But when a goddess appears to her with the details of a quest that will change everything, Elise comes home. Determined to succeed, Elise must learn to accept help or again lose it all.
1. A Dark & Difficult Homecoming

The Lost Twins of Apollo

Author's Note: Ok, so I've always wanted to a PJO universe story. But I patiently waited through the HOO series so that I could make it an as canon as possible next generation deal like my HP stories. This one though is taking place somewhere in between Percy's & Annabeth's time and their children's (that's a separate project of mine now). I'd like to think the Seven and their counterparts like the Stolls and Clarisse have sort of moved out of their camp phase and just visit sometimes. So they might appear as aid on this quest…or not. Haven't decided. That said, this is my least fleshed out piece to ever make it online. Seriously, this chapter was written in dribs and drabs in less than a week. I never let stuff go out that soon. So, please let me know if you like it! Thanks! Also, must say I don't own the PJO/HOO universe, it's all Rick Riordan.

The forest was dark, but familiar. And although her tread was heavy with weariness, she picked her way without a hint of hesitation, tracing the edge of the creek as she had done countless times in her youth. The darkness didn't matter. The hoots and growls and whispers of the forest's occupants hardly mattered either. Probably satyrs…or dryads, she thought. Or… some random monsters that hadn't been flushed out in the latest game of capture the flag. She stiffened uncomfortably at that last brainstorm. But it wasn't from fear or worry, as her bow skills wouldn't fail her here, it was from the paralyzing grip of nostalgia. Camp memories had suddenly come unbidden to the forefront of her mind. There commenced a brief silent struggle, before she finally managed to beat the images aside and resume her determined pace. There was no thinking about the past _now_, not when she was so close to the end of this leg of her journey, not before she got….home.

Home. The word sent more shockwaves through her body than just walking in this forest did. She had not allowed herself to think of this place, or any place as home in several years. That was probably because in Elise Moreau's world, home had never _really_ been a place at all. Her home had always been a person. Her home had been Adam, with his fair hair and eyes like rich, golden honey. She remembered him now, here in what had possibly been their favorite place on Earth, more vividly than time should've allowed. Adam, with his long lashes and handsome, confident features. His tall, graceful frame and…and the loose constellation of freckles that dominated his back and shoulders. His laugh…musical and strong…_no_…no that was enough of that.

She hadn't realized it, but she'd stopped on a rise past the creek, breathing hard, her hand gripping tightly to the trunk of the nearest tree. Elise hastily withdrew it, something inside her still mindful of its potential as a dryad's home, and found she was trembling badly. That wasn't too surprising though. The last of her food had run out the evening before and she'd taken a decent gash from the claw of a dracaena during her mid-day rest. The wound it had left on her shoulder had been throbbing insistently for hours. But that couldn't be helped. She was maxed out on tolerance as far as nectar and ambrosia were concerned. Anymore of it (all she had left was a swallow and half a cube anyway) and she'd put herself in the coma to death range for certain. So, pain tolerance and keeping the wound clean and dry until she arrived at Camp had been the order of the day.

Stopping frequently to re-wrap it with her never-ending roll of gauze, sip purified stream water from her bottle and eat a couple handfuls of berries here and there had slowed her pace considerably, even with her expert navigational skills. Ideally, she would've liked to have made it into the main part of camp before nightfall. Of course that would've drawn more attention than she'd liked, literally stumbling into the old dining pavilion during dinner, but at least it would've gotten things moving sooner. Elise was on the clock. She had to see Chiron and secure the reinforcements she was looking for as soon as possible. Because in a fortnight her quest would be over, one way or another. She would have either succeeded in reversing some of the nightmares of the past (well, not fully of course), or have died trying.

Yes, even Elise could tell how heavy that ultimatum sounded in her head. But she had already come to terms with the possibility, no correction…the almost sheer inevitability, of her death this time. In fact, she was currently living bonus time already. Her last mission had taken her so far from everything she had ever known that she was certain everyone from the past thought her long dead and gone.

That was why it was vital that she see Chiron of all people (or centaurs). He had been her teacher. Surely, he would remember her…remember the details of the events she had suppressed. Chiron would help her puzzle out the goddess's request…how to reopen the vault…how to rescue…how-. She cut herself short with a shaky sigh.

'You sound like a damned hysteric Lise', she chided herself.

But this time she knew it wasn't just her thoughts that were racing, or nostalgia that was making her head swim. Even after resting against the tree, Elise could barely gather up the strength to pick up her boots and descend into the valley below, where the lights of the porch of the Big House were just visible. The 17-year-old brushed the sweaty, grimy strands of brown hair that had escaped from her ponytail aside and stuck her fingers expertly to the side of her neck, right under the collar of her leather shirt. Her pulse was thready and weak, as she'd expected.

She'd spent her last real strength dispatching a small Maeonian drakon just inside the forest borders. The beast had burned holes the size of her head in a group of nearby blackberry bushes with its venom before going down under the precision shooting of four celestial bronze tipped arrows and a dagger in its mouth. Well, Elise was being uncharacteristically generous with herself there. _Three_ of the arrows had been well placed. The fourth, the first one shot, had sailed on her horribly. She had failed to account for how much her earlier injury was affecting her aim. She shuddered and thanked the gods that it hadn't been a young Lydian drakon instead. The monster's stare alone may have been enough to kill her then.

Elise sighed again, a bit more evenly this time. Could she make it to the Big House now? On her feet, knocking smartly on the red painted door, just like any casual ghost dropping in after nearly 20 years for a bite to eat and a few measly bits of information….that was sort of what she was now aiming for here. Hey, it was good to have goals. First thing though, was gaining her feet again. While thinking about her run-in with the drakon she'd slipped down against the base of the tree, eyes roving aimlessly over the fields before her. Normally alert for anything that could sneak up on her, Elise had simply let herself go lax. Here, at the edge of the forest, she didn't think the odds of being attacked again were quite that high. Besides, she'd always had an innate sense of hunting: both the hunting and being hunted parts. She squinted in the gloom, making as much use as possible out of the slim quarter moon and the few illuminated porch lights on some of the cabins.

Wait…one…two…twelve….fifteen…just how many cabins were there? And what was with the dark solid-looking black one, where the torches near door were burning Greek fire? Had Hades raised a coup while she was away? He didn't even have any children! She had to be hallucinating. And if she was hallucinating already, after what she'd diagnosed as only moderate exhaustion and blood loss, she was certainly losing her touch. She looked at the Big House again, almost to make sure it was even there. What with it being so easy to gain the borders tonight, this could've been a ghost camp for all she knew. But no, it was there, as inviting as ever. The same open porch with the attic at the top, same red…no sorry…someone must've redecorated…blue paint on the walls.

Suddenly something wheeled through the sky around the Big House, in and out of the light in a moment's time. But Elise's trained eyes had seen it clear as day. A cleaning harpy, or as her and Adam and the others had grudgingly referred to them in her day, curfew harpies. Whew…at least some things didn't change.

Her favorite harpy to get into it with had been Aello. That bitter old bag had never been satisfied with her deliberate pace while rinsing dishes in lava after dinnertime when she was in trouble. She'd always fly off to tell Chiron that Elise deserved another evening's washing duty for slacking off. Only problem had been, whenever Aello had finally shown up again (with Chiron in tow), Elise would be standing next to all the clean, sparkling piles of finished dishes and cutlery with a serene smile on her face.

At that point, Aello had always started screeching and Chiron would just send her off with a knowing wink, before he tried to beseech the harpy to maybe give her a different chore to complete next time. She'd only get maybe three steps out the door, laughing to herself, before Morgana, X and Adam would be all over her (laughing too). Then, after a good chuckle, they'd spirit her away for a walk or a quick riding session until campfire. Back in the present, the smile quickly died on her lips and she fought back tears. _No_, no she couldn't afford to indulge in either, not the old joys or the grief. Not when there was still a chance their work hadn't truly been the ultimate failure.

It was time. She rose gingerly to her feet and shivered. Even though it was still fall and Camp was weather-controlled, her worn travelling clothes didn't offer the best protection from the elements. Her wound, hours since its last bandaging, was finally seeping blood through her light jacket. It needed looking after…and not out here. She gave a reassuring pat to the bow holstered on her back and the pack slung across her shoulder before finally descending out of the tree line and toward her first human contact in days.

Elise skirted the sword-fighting arena to her right, allowing its shadows to shield her from the keen eyes of the curfew harpies. With any luck, she could get all the way inside the ring of cabins without them noticing her. She was already exhausted again, but this time she allowed herself to be immersed in the past. As she snuck across the camp's grounds, there was no past or present. This was just a girl who had stayed out all night in the woods who was getting back to her cabin before she got caught.

And as she drew closer, her old cabin seemed to draw her in. Light spilled out of the red and gold curtains of the Apollo cabin, and although she knew it wasn't glowing with its usual daytime splendor, just being near it still filled her with an odd sort of pride. Through the windows she could see a full host of lounging campers, just like in the old days, many of them either writing in notebooks or journals, playing various musical instruments or taking stock of various medical supplies.

She knew her true business was in the Big House. She knew there was no way she would be sleeping in this cabin tonight. In fact, she probably wouldn't even step foot inside it ever again. But still… she couldn't help stopping and leaning against their porch railing, staring into what seemed like a window into a lost world. It was this odd feeling of déjà vu that seemed destined to be her constant companion tonight and Elise also feared her entire visit here would be probably be marred by it as well.

"Can I help you miss?" questioned a clear, casual voice from nearby.

Elise wheeled around, her bow already in hand. She was surprised to see a tall, strapping brown-haired boy in an orange camp shirt staring her down from just inside the circle of light provided by the cabin. His own metal compound bow was nocked with a heavy blunt-tipped arrow and pointed directly at her. The two archers held their positions for about 30 pensive seconds before Elise's hands began to shake, causing her to lower her weapon and lean back on the railing in disgust. Way to hold your own girl, she thought in annoyance.

The boy immediately frowned and stepped forward, lowering his own bow in the process. He ate up the distance between them in two long strides, only stopping when he was maybe two feet away. Elise quickly noticed how his deep blue eyes seemed to radiate their own personal fire, drawing you in deeper and deeper…

Suddenly, she felt a weight on her arm. "Don't touch me!" she hissed defensively, edging further down the railing and out of his grasp. She looked at him reproachfully as she now cradled her blood-stained arm to her chest.

"But…but you're injured," he said, his brow knit with genuine concern, "I need to take care of it for you." He made another attempt to make contact, but she pushed off the railing and away from him, dropping her bow and pack in the process.

Need. He said he _needed_ to take care of it for me. He was a typical Apollo alright. The same compulsion to tend to others wounds, whether physical or otherwise, ran through her veins as well. Out in the real world though, she wouldn't have survived this long if she hadn't learned to suppress that particular genetic trait.

"You don't _need_ to do anything. You don't even know me. In fact, two minutes ago you were deciding whether or not you _needed_ to shoot me. I'm just an intruder with a scratch on her arm for all it _should_ matter to you…so I'll just be leaving…"

She'd meant to just pick up her things and storm off; galvanized by the spike of adrenaline this whole embarrassing incident had given her…until he stopped her. A hand circled around her wrist as she stooped down to grab her pack. Elise froze to the spot.

"I'm Ezra," he said calmly. He swiftly grabbed the pack and backed her against the railing again in one fluid motion. "And your shoulder," he continued in a rather matter-of-fact tone, "Is _not_ just scratched." His long fingers probed gently over the matted, ruined part of her shirt, assessing the sodden bandage and the wound underneath with practiced care.

Elise felt like those laser-sharp blue eyes were literally x-raying her arm. She fought several urges to either cry out in pain or struggle away again. This Ezra was obviously a determined fellow and…well, it wasn't like she didn't actually _need_ help. In all honesty, she'd forgotten how stubborn and head-strong she could really be. Ezra humphed abruptly and then started to eyeball-scan her whole person up and down. She had no doubt he would soon find plenty of damage to comment upon. Sure enough, after a couple more uncomfortable minutes of being stared at, the intensity in the boy's gaze dropped, Elise swore she could almost feel the energy release, and he cleared his throat.

"Well, the laceration is 5 inches long and penetrates into your deep tissue. You have decreased use of your biceps brachialis muscle, probably due to both exhaustion and trauma in the area and this is why you can barely lift your weapon," Ezra reported knowledgably. Elise started with noises of indignation, but he cut her off to continue his diagnosis. One must never get between an Apollo child and their diagnosis. "You've also been malnourished for several days, probably abstaining almost completely for nearly 24 hrs, based on your inability to concentrate, stand steady and well, the lightness of this pack. The large bruise on your cheek is two days old based on the coloration in the area and uh, this isn't medical but…quite frankly you look like crap." He had finally let her go and backed up a of couple feet, settling with his torso against the vertical post at the porch's entrance and his head cocked thoughtfully in her direction.

Elise gave a loud, tired sigh. "I _knew_ all of that… more or less," she said with more patience then she could've hoped for. The teen couldn't even tell when this whole evening had turned quite so dramatically. She could've been knee deep in camp records and Greek history books with Chiron by now. She could've taken a hot shower and dressed her own wound by now. And yet here she was, having a verbal sparring match with a long-lost family member.

"Of course you did, but I just thought I'd remind you what you're ignoring," agreed Ezra coolly, "You know, before you pass out on _our_ porch."

"Our?" spat Elise, finally fed up, "Don't claim me doctor boy. You haven't got a damn idea where I belong in this place, alright?"

"Oh sure, alright then, be that way Little Miss Wilderness. Stand there, which you're hardly managing by the way, and tell me again that you're not one of us. Tell me you're not Her."

Elise swallowed her fury and gaped at him. "I'm sorry?" she asked suspiciously, "I'm not anybody."

"Huh," snorted Ezra derisively, "That sounds like the theme of a bad poem. I'm not anybody and no one is me."

Elise literally growled in frustration. This guy was a right pain in the ass. "Says the guy named Ezra," she snarked, "What's the deal there? Your mother was just trying to kiss Lord Apollo's ass or were you actually conceived at a controversial poetry conference?"

An actual blush finally crept into the cocky youth's cheeks and he ruffled his hair in agitation. "Let's leave my mother out of this," he said firmly. Then he took a deep breath and switched topics. "So what's your deal Wilderness Princess? Some identity crisis preventing you from just calling him Dad or were you like formally disowned?"

Suddenly, even though he'd only mimicked Elise's own tone and was partly asking out of curiosity, Ezra realized he'd crossed the line. The girl's whole demeanor had changed, going from cagey wild animal to downright broken and shut-off.

"Screw you," she muttered tiredly, "Like I said…you don't know me." She cast her eyes to the grass and scuffed it moodily with her boot. The golden aura of the cabin was now giving her a headache.

Ezra winced. This was a soul in pain and he could truly feel waves of it now rolling over him. He coughed awkwardly. It was very un-Apollo to not known what to say next. Allowing himself to get drawn into such pettiness in the first place had been more of an Ares sort of reaction. "I'm sorry," he interjected sincerely, "You're right, I don't know you. But…I can tell that I'd like to. And not because I happen to know that you're an important and powerful person. We've actually been waiting for you. We Apollonians… that is."

Elise shrugged. She was much too stung by memories to be angry or surprised by this kid. She hadn't been disowned by Apollo…but the real story wasn't much different. "Look Ezra, for the record, you've really got a nice name after all, and you seem like an alright guy…but you're prophecy, future-sight radar is pretty off right now. I'm… (She shook her head to try and clear it)…I'm just a girl…a young women actually…long story…but anyways… (She was struggling now to think past her own dizziness) I'm really nothing here. My time at this camp is a distant memory and not always a pretty one at that. I'm just here to see Chiron…Chiron and reinforcements and I'll be on my way." As she finished she felt her knees buckle, causing her slip away from the rail and tumble forward onto the grass. She'd pass out soon… she'd pass out on the cold unforgiving ground because of Ezra and her own stupid inability to look out for herself instead of picking a battle she couldn't win.

He knelt beside her and a surge of energy coursed through her veins. She dimly recognized his temporary healing hymn and knew it'd give her like a few minutes at the most before she'd be out again. Her deep green eyes snapped open. Her arm seemed to bleeding less. He pushed a lock of hair away from her face and held onto her uninjured arm so that they could still maintain an eye level. Elise spared a thought to how weird this must look to any campers who might still be awake and looking out their windows. She was also very surprised that none of the Apollo's had come looking for their brother by now. They had to have been arguing for at least half an hour.

"Shh….that's enough fighting for one day Wilderness Princess. I'll take care of it from here," Ezra reassured her, "You _are_ important though. You're one of the lost twins returned. Father's first request after being restored to the Olympic council was for you to be freed, for you to get this quest. He's told us he believes in you and wants you to be his again. He wants you to save your brother."

A shiver passed through Elise at those words. Father believed in her. It had been so long since those days. In fact, she had not even known her father was behind her revival. She had not known that other Apollo kids had actually heard of her story. But most importantly, Ezra's speech was a reminder of Adam. She wanted to struggle off of her knees and claw her way to his side this very moment…but it wasn't happening. The most she could do was make sure this Ezra knew where to put her right now.

"Ok..." she murmured, "Ok…yes, I'm the lost twin. But you can't bring me back into this cabin…promise me Ezra…alright? (He looked puzzled, but nodded) I can't be in there without…without him. And another thing? My name is Elise Moreau…not Wilderness Princess."

He chuckled. "Very well Elise Moreau. You might have led with that by the way, because now I quite like calling you Wilderness Princess. Anyway, I, Ezra Cowen, head counselor of Cabin 7, solemnly promise to take your wishes to heart. But, where can I put you down and patch you up? I'd have mentioned this earlier, but Chiron's away on business tonight and Mr. D's in quite a mood, so the Big House is not where you want to be."

Elise leaned in and whispered in his ear. Ezra's blue eyes went as wide as saucers. "Really? I'm sure that's quite a story. Well I wasn't too far off with the nickname then was I?" he joked quietly. She gave him a wan smile and managed to gain her feet with her good arm around his neck, taking most of the weight. He propped her against the railing as he holstered his weapon and walked out of the light. There were two muffled thuds and then he returned, vaulting onto the porch and leaving two large duffels next to the door. "Was in the weapons cellar before I found ya'…special projects stuff…" he explained as he bustled around, now gathering her weapon and other effects. Elise barely registered his words.

She was fading fast by the time he returned to her side, but managed to mumble, "Just say the password like I told you and you'll be allowed in…and if you have to carry me…" Elise didn't get any further before her eyelids finally fluttered shut for good.

"If I have to carry you," finished Ezra, hoisting her light frame effortlessly into the cradle of his arms, "I won't tell you." He held her under the porch light for a moment, memorizing her features, before setting off across the green. She looked younger and more innocent in dreams. People always did. He took her pulse. After all she'd been through, the fact that it was still thrumming meant she was strong. Ezra grinned crookedly and crooned a soft hymn to their father, stopping the bleeding for good and deepening her sleep. He'd hook her up to a regular mortal IV drip in the cabin. She needed nutrition the old-fashioned way tonight and when she was awake and stronger they'd go back to the nectar and ambrosia.

In no time, the teen stood in front of the cabin directly across from Apollo's, its silver glow a fascinating reflection of the moon's rays. Ezra couldn't remember a time he'd been this close to it, if ever. Most of the campers held Cabin 8 with the same amount of polite deference as they did Hera's cabin or any or the others that didn't have occupants. The Hunters of Artemis had visited once in his time here at Camp Half-Blood, winning Capture the Flag with practiced ease, and during those nights the silver glow had been emitted tenfold. That had intimidated his 13-year-old self to no end.

Ezra also knew Lady Artemis didn't like men and he was justifiably nervous at the moment about stepping into her territory. Please, please, he thought as he hesitantly stepped onto the porch, please let me take care of her here. She is your adopted daughter…she is a Huntress…and I am only here for her. When no silver arrows suddenly sprouted from between his shoulder blades or any virgin goddesses appeared to turn him into a small furry piece of game, the 17-year-old demigod sighed in relief. He took Elise's limp but warm hand and pressed to the silver door. Ancient Greek ruins appeared as if etched in the silver and in the center protruded the mouth piece of a silver banded hunting horn. He spoke into the horn the words Elise had told him and door swung inward. Ezra squared his shoulders and became the first male to step into Artemis's cabin in nearly a century.


	2. A Hellhound Eats My Toast

Chapter 2: A Hellhound Eats My Toast

**Author's Note: Ok, so a bit of friendly advice to my fellow writers out there. If you want to be vague and mysterious in your opening chapter, be prepared to pay for it in the second. Because I wrote the opening of this story based on feel in some really random burst of writer's clarity I didn't have to touch on much of my intended plot points. And that's mostly because they didn't exist. Elise had no past quest enemy, or much else besides a stubborn personality and missing twin brother. Anyway, since then I've pieced together two quest prophecies, a slew of support characters (past and present) and the rough details of this current mission. Half of it because it was necessary and half of it because I'm a details freak. Hopefully, all that heavy lifting makes things easier from here. I do not own the PJO universe. If I did I wouldn't have slog through all the research on names and weaponry on my own. Please stop in and review if you can!**

Elise could obviously say that she'd slept better, even in this cabin of all places. She remembered coming around at least three separate times during the night, still feeling weak and slightly delirious, but also cagey and restless. An average demigod's dreams and memories were usually bad enough, but Elise's often made her want to bolt out of bed and never go back. But each time she'd jerked or lashed out in a haze of mental or psychical pain last night, Ezra had been there. He'd immediately put his book down and spring out of his camp chair to her side, either fussing to make sure she didn't pull out her IV drip or wrench her shoulder out of its new sling. If they'd briefly made eye contact, he would just smile and gently squeeze her arm until she faded off again.

At one point, Elise had been so out of it, she was convinced there was a hellhound in the cabin. She could've sworn to the gods that she'd seen a large black shape moving behind Ezra's shoulder; and thus, had clumsily brought her arm back to load an arrow into a bow that didn't exist. But instead of being alarmed, Ezra had simply pulled her back down and held her there until the wave of fear had subsided, all the while muttering soothingly about the dangers of realistic feeling dreams. But just as she'd drifted off again, she could've sworn he'd whispered something else, something like '_give her time to recover before shocking her all over again'_, before getting a high-pitched, un-human whine as a response.

Finally though, Elise came to for real. She felt both refreshed and hyper aware of her surroundings, which is typically how one feels after coming through an ordeal in which they are not able to take care of themselves. The cabin was essentially just two rooms on the ground floor, a large front room and a long, thin one in the back that served as the bathroom. The front room would've been very familiar to Elise, even if she'd never had the privilege of using it before. It had the same minimalistic, survivalist layout as all of Lady Artemis's various safe havens across the globe. There were several rows of folding metal camp beds, each with a green or khaki canvas stretched tight across the top of the frame. One silver fabric encased pillow and a thin, standard issue silver cotton blanket also sat on each of them, at the head and foot respectively. Also at the foot of each cot, was a small trunk for the temporary storage of a Huntress's gear bag and weapons. A quick look down at her own sleeping arrangements though, revealed that Ezra must've tied two of uncomfortable beds together, before covering them with all manner of blankets and extra pillows. Elise even recognized a couple of the spare silver sleeping bags the Hunters kept in the cabin's attic storage area. She found herself smirking a bit at his thoughtfulness before leaning back on her pillows and resuming her eyeball tour.

Three of the exposed timber walls were sparsely decorated; some skillfully done paintings and carvings of Lady Artemis's best hunts, a few antique weapons and the odd trophies won by various Hunters were spread about with an almost inexplicable randomness. The monster trophies _could_ be rather awe-inspiring however, which was no doubt the reason some of them had been left behind. Well, that and they were simply too heavy to be trudging around the globe with.

For instance, bracketing the doorframe, Elise could admire the dark ebony tusks of an enormous black boar the Hunt had once brought down on the African plains. Even though she'd only travelled with the group for a few months upon joining up, the teen remembered that glorious three-day hunt quite vividly. It had been Zoe Nightshade, their lieutenant at the time, who had eventually been awarded credit for the kill shot that had pierced the massive beast's underbelly and travelled forward into its heart.

She was just about to recall how the intrepid Zoe had managed to set up such a remarkably angled shot, when the door creaked open. She got a quick glimpse of Ezra's light ash brown hair and grey hoodie as he carefully backed into the room… before the dark blur reappeared, bounding across the room and leaping onto the foot of her double-wide cot. Jerked forward, as the whole makeshift bed lifted a few inches off the ground, Elise let out an involuntary yell of surprise and again reached for weapons that were nowhere to be seen. When all she got was a handful of pillow, the teen felt the familiar prick of battle anxiety and her mind started to go into overdrive looking for a back-up plan. But the hellhound just licked her playfully, its massive pink tongue scrapping across the side of her head and neck like wet sandpaper. The surprised Huntress almost fell out of the bed. By all rights and logic, she ought to have been dog chow by now.

She came back to her senses to hear Ezra laughing. "Morning Princess! Bet you've never met a friendly part-hellhound before eh?" he said cheerfully.

Elise caught a glimpse of his electric blue eyes twinkling mischievously as he set a breakfast tray down on the small collapsible table he'd set up near her bed. Next, he casually plopped down into the canvas camp chair on the opposite side of the table and started pulling things out of his pockets; two cartons of milk (one chocolate, one plain), a tube of ointment, rolls of gauze and bandages, a bag of dog treats, a small red leather-bound notebook and a few gold drachmas to name most of it. But truthfully, Elise was barely paying attention to him. Her stomach rumbled loudly as she set her deep green eyes on the food. There was a tall stack of buttered toast and strawberry jam, a generous mound of scrambled eggs with vegetables and bits melty yellow cheese sprinkled through and, to top it all off, a bowl of still steaming oatmeal with fresh blackberries and cream floating in the middle.

Suddenly, the hellhound put a heavy forepaw down on her leg and licked her good arm. Elise flinched and tore her gaze from the first hot meal she'd seen in days. Ignoring Ezra's snort of renewed mirth, she forced herself to be calm as she surveyed the monster…sorry…_part_ -hellhound with interest. The 17-year-old could honestly say she'd never been this close to one before, alive or dead. Sure she had seen pictures of them, fought them in dark forests and in sun drenched fields, but she'd never taken time to appreciate how much they looked like abnormally large mastiffs.

"She's a she by the way," Ezra commented lazily, around a mouthful of toast. Elise scowled at the fact that he was starting in on what she'd assumed was _her_ food and suddenly darted out a hand and grabbed a toast triangle. "Re-lax princess, you can't eat all this right now anyway, even if you usually could. You'd hurl ya know?" He quirked his eyebrows and started scribbling something in his notebook before adding, "She likes toast too, just for your information." Elise grunted through her mouthful and went back to assessing the small mountain sharing her blankets.

The giant dog's eyes were a clear, intense red-orange, like a fire reflected in the surface of a pair of shining rubies. But despite the intensity of the stare, Elise was no longer afraid. For these eyes also radiated a certain honest and friendly quality that had automatically succeeded in putting her more at ease. In fact, they _almost_ made her feel safe. The great hound also had a large head with wide, heavy features. Worry lines creased the thick fur around her eyes and she had a large, flat black nose the teenager could surely rest her whole hand on. Elise had also expected to see black fur everywhere, rolls and rolls of thick black fur as dark as the depths of Tartarus. But instead, this big girl was too light by far. A dusting of white covered her lower body, leaving an unusual slate grey base coat with uneven patches of dark and light occasionally breaking through to the surface. Elise could also see creamy spots on the backs of her half-flopped ears and a stripe of it right down the center of her brindled, muscular chest. The dog panted eagerly and wagged her long, thin tail.

"She's beautiful," murmured Elise sincerely, "Is…is she yours?"

Ezra beamed and nodded. "Since the day she was born," he added proudly.

The Huntress chewed thoughtfully on her toast. Sweet strawberry jam and rich, fresh butter assailed her tongue and made her stomach wriggle happily, almost threatening to sweep her back into the painful embrace of memory lane. Countless breakfasts by the canoe lake or the in the stands of the arena after an early morning session…She coughed loudly and intentionally. Ezra blinked and pretended not to notice that she'd gotten far away on him.

"So. So…how does one come to own a part hellhound, part…?" she asked carefully. She was immeasurably grateful when he chose to just answer the question instead of prying into her head. While he was thinking, she grabbed the carton of plain milk and balanced another piece of toast on her knee while she drank it. Thankfully, her stomach hadn't started complaining just yet.

"Part Siberian husky," he finished easily, "See that's the key to it I suppose. At home, well my mother's obviously, I've got a male Siberian husky named Shackleton. He was errrr…doing his thing, running around the property, and you know… just romanced a hellhound." Then the boy shrugged, as if to say, _I know, weird shit right?_

Elise measured her next question even more carefully. Obviously, the how of it was something that could be left to her imagination. I mean, they were demigods right? Weird, scientifically illogical shit was their lot in life. A Siberian husky and a hellhound shouldn't have even registered low readings on her weird-o-meter. All the same, the Huntress willed her mind to refocus onto a less gross topic. "Mmm, so…how'd you get her away from the mother?" she asked curiously, "I mean the beast was probably there to skewer you in the first place right?" There, good one. That was a mature, practical question. She caught Ezra biting back the snark he'd no doubt prepared in case she'd asked the obvious question instead. Poor bastard, she thought, he's probably had to answer that one a few times too many. He's probably rather good at it by now too.

"Yea…" he explained slowly, his eyes becoming wistful and noticeably more endearing, "Yea, I was 12 when the whole thing went down. Now I don't know when Shack had gotten her pregnant, but one day after school I was riding my horse deep on the property…no don't even go _there _yet (he physically waved her potential questions about his money away)…when this great bear-like motherload (Elise found that he couldn't help rising from his seat and gesturing grandly as he narrated) just came thundering out of the trees towards us. And all I remember thinking was, 'Oh Gods, I hope this thing doesn't kill Caspian'…that's my horse btw…and then, all of a sudden, I feel this weight on my back. A bow and arrows, naturally. I mean, I'm sure as shit not the only Apollo kid who's gotten those in a time of need eh? Anyway, so I managed to nock one, mid-gallop mind, and then I waited until she got innnnn rannnnn-gggge (Ezra drew back an imaginary bow for Elise's benefit)… and I shot her between the eyes. Almost like I'd been taking down hellhounds all my life." Finished, he glanced her way, his eyes afire with excitement and pride. Then, upon registering her placid, un-awed reaction, the fire in his eyes flickered out and he brought his arms up from the bow position to awkwardly rub the back of his head. He grinned almost shyly and pulled a face.

Elise thought 'almost shyly' because it occurred to her that this guy was the sort that rarely did anything that way. He only pretended he did. "Almost like you were born to it," she added readily. She found his gaze again and locked into it. She wouldn't let him get away with turning this into some 'aw shucks, no big deal' moment on her watch. When you were as battle-tested as she was, you had a way of appreciating every victory you'd ever won. That hellhound could've won that day and he could've been dead. Another young hero cut down before they could grow old. There wasn't any room in demigod's life for false modesty and indifference, at least not where monsters were concerned.

The longer they stared at each other, the more the fire re-stoked itself in Ezra's eyes. They were sharing an empathic link that was downright unnatural for two people who'd only met each other last night. In fact, Elise could hardly even say last night's weird verbal sparring match counted as meeting. She'd been so weak and dazed it was something she just barely remembered now. But yet, here they were, recognizing in each other the same instincts. She knew he understood her, but she decided to say her bit anyway.

"Don't be afraid to own your accomplishments in battle," Elise said clearly, speaking more for a change like the woman she was than the teenager she appeared as, "It diminishes the deed and, if you let it, it'll diminish you as well."

Ezra nodded solemnly and returned to his chair. His hand drummed rhythmically on the cover of his notebook. Aware that she was being ignored, the hellhound bounced off the bed without warning, propped her forepaws on her owner's lap and scoffed the last four pieces of toast in one fell swoop. The two teens glanced at each other ruefully and Ezra smiled.

"Corona!" he chided playfully, instantly more himself again, "Get your own breakfast why don't ya?" Corona whined and licked his knee. Ezra echoed his sentiments with even less conviction as she nuzzled her head between his hands so he could fondly scratch her ears.

"Ah, so that's her name," said Elise, with a small smile of her own, "I was beginning to think she didn't have one." Ezra humphed quietly and grinned back before returning his attention to his pet. Elise would've been blind not to recognize the devotion these two had for each other. Furthermore, she pitied any soul who willingly tried to harm either of them, for they'd certainly pay with their life. "So, you never really answered my question," she commented with surprising lightness (something about seeing these two together just seemed to automatically lift her spirits), "Taking down a charging hellhound isn't exactly like signing adoption papers for her unseen, unborn pups."

"Oh they were born," Ezra corrected her, "But the aftermath of my first 'battle' comes first. Now of course I didn't have a satyr or anyone with me, like most kids do after their first shocking, life-altering demigod experience, to explain what's really happening to them. So, after I dismounted Caspian and watched this giant beast I'd just felled dissolve to dust before my eyes, I didn't know what to do. All that was left of her was two massive canine teeth, both about three times as long as my little 12-almost-13 year-old boy hands! But I just knew, deep down, that I had to pick them up and keep them. This was it… this was finally going to be my proof. See, my mother had always humored me when I'd told her of something weird I'd seen… but she'd never told me I was right before. This time, I was determined to make her understand. The beautiful bow and arrows and these huge teeth couldn't be denied. Caspian, of course, had finally bolted back toward the house and stables at this point, no doubt in shock that there are dogs out there bigger than he is…so I had to walk back on my own. Well, run back actually. I'm sure as you know; a near-death experience can really get the legs working. Then finally, just as I was getting near the stables with the giant teeth rattling in my arms, I saw him. He was just there, standing in the doorway waiting for me, wearing this bright plaid shirt in all the colors of the sun and these tight, tight jeans with a ridiculously large belt buckle of a golden sun and leather boots. Fair, sun-kissed hair my mom had always longingly talked about and eyes just like mine…and in that moment I knew. Anyway, first thing he says is 'I think you might want to see this', before jerking his head and ducking back inside. Just…that. 'I think you might want to see this.' Suppose when you've got so many children…"

Ezra paused and scratched his chin. Corona's head was balanced in his lap. Elise waited patiently. Seeing one's godly parent for the first time was an experience fraught with all sorts of emotion and she didn't need to be told how hard explaining it was. Finally, Corona whined low and gave him a moony sort of glance.

The teenager started at the noise and sheepishly returned to the story. "Yea…yea so I'm still standing there, taking in the moment, when he yells 'Now son, hurry or you'll miss your chance!' That gets me going. I drop the teeth, bolt in and look around…and there, right in one of the horse stalls are two little dark grey pups sitting in the hay, one with its eyes still shut. 'Hellhounds,' Dad says, 'Wait for the moment now, wait and be the first thing she sees and you'll have her protection for life.' Now mind you, I've recently been almost killed by the grown-up version of one of these and I've got like a million questions for him…but all we do is stand there and wait. And before long (He strokes Corona's head as he talks), this beautiful girl's pretty red eyes flutter open and hone in on me…and the rest is history," Ezra explains contentedly.

Elise had to admit that it was a hell of a story. Most young demigods just got gnarly scars or dead monster parts the day they learn the truth (if they were lucky), let alone a face-to-face with their parent and a pet hellhound. "What about the other pup?" she asked curiously, "Who did it see when it opened its eyes?"

"My little sister Meg," he replied, "She'd gone running off to the house for my mother a few minutes before I arrived, according to Dad. She never saw him. But he finally addressed me. He explained what we both were, identified himself as the Sun God and our father, expressed regret over his last, almost 10 years of absence since my sister was born and asked about my mother. Then, after he urged me to tell her it was 'time for camp', he put a hand on my shoulder, took the bow and the quiver from my back and shrunk them into this notebook (He plucked it off the table as he talked) and this wooden bookmark." Elise could see a thin strip of brightly colored wood, natural grains of reddish-orange melding together inside a thin metal border of dark bronze. Two small bronze arrow insets also decorated the object, one pointing north to south and the other the inverse. This resulted in the points of both arrows nearly touching in the center. A quick look at the notebook's cover also showed her the same insignia stamped in gold.

"So the bookmark's the bow then?" guessed Elise astutely, "A part Celestial bronze, part wooden longbow I'd wager too."

The young male archer nodded in confirmation. "And the notebook's the quiver. Stroke the spine and the pages bend back around and merge into a circle. Then it hollows out and gets longer until it's the proper size and strapped to my back."

Elise frowned, remembering something from last night's haze. "But that's not the same bow you had trained on me yesterday then is it? Wasn't that a heavy metal bow with thick, blunted arrows?" she asked.

Ezra nodded and joked, "You've got some eye… for a half-dead girl. That was a cabin specialty bow. Co-designed with the Hephaestus bunch to help us shoot firework arrows. Currently, only about 6 people in the entire camp have the strength to fire the thing though. That's why I had it last night… I was out showing Cabin 9 how we Apollos have been fiddling with it."

"Wait," said the Huntress mock-seriously, "You were going to shoot me… with a firework?" She stared him down.

"Well…" began Ezra, scratching his head, "Erm…not really. It was just the closest weapon on hand, by that I mean literally in my hand already, and I thought you might just be some bloody Aphrodite stalker for Gods sakes! You know, wave a weapon at them and they usually scamper off…only then I actually met you and I realized how wrong I was."

Elise snorted. She couldn't help it. The idea of her as some love-crazed Aphrodite girl simply took the cake. "Oh so the Aphrodites favor drab colors and leather crusted in forest grime these days?" she said innocently. Ezra rolled his eyes. "You know," Elise continued thoughtfully, "I think a firework may be the only thing that's never been shot at me before."

Ezra's blue eyes widened and danced. "Hmm…well arrows, bullets and darts are obvious. What about… wads of paper? BB's? Peas?" he challenged. Elise nodded and bit back a smile as she watched his face screw up in concentration. "A torpedo? Giant rocks? Harpoons? A bazooka missile?" he peppered out earnestly.

Elise sighed. A bazooka missile? Damn, leave it to the kid to have an imagination. "Ugh alright! A bazooka missile is rather specific don't you think? Let's just say I've experienced explosive rocket-style missiles of many varieties before ok?" She watched the boy scowl and open his mouth to ask how this was possible. "No," she cut in, "Too many stories ok? Not enough hours."

The teenager closed his mouth and made an indistinct noise of frustration before nodding in defeat. "Shame…" he reflected sadly. Then, after a few seconds, he jumped back in. "But really though…full-on military warheads? That's crazy. I mean you're a Huntress, not a combat soldier! I mean, my bow can reform to shoot darts and paint balls and little stuff like that, but sometimes I just want even more fire power… you know?" he rambled. Elise was suddenly reminded how long it'd truly been since she'd spent any time with a teenage boy.

"How very Ares of you," she snarked, eyes rolling with exaggerated judgment, "Does Dad know you're a munitions junkie?"

Ezra frowned and waved her off. "Ha-ha," he dead-panned, "Watch it Wilderness Princess, you joke… but my weapon can tag you with most small to medium sized ammo from distances of over 200 ft with pin-point accuracy as it is. There's no harm in a guy wanting a little bit more _pop_ is all."

She nodded slowly and tried to look impressed. Which was harder than she'd imagined, given the fact that she actually was. The problem though: Elise had simply dealt with far too many magical weapons and other crazy objects in her life for her to stir up any awe and wonder over them anymore. But this bow was obviously Ezra's baby, and she still remembered how to be polite. Well…sort of.

"Mmm… very nice. My weapon wasn't nearly as multi-faceted. It was an Imperial gold and adamantium longbow. Dad (it was getting easier to use that word again) had a sword like it once, did you know? Gave it to Hermes for a lyre, but apparently never forgot what a lethal combination those two elements could make. My...my _brother_ and I (On the other hand, she couldn't believe how hard it had become to use _that_ phrase aloud) both had one. Dad gave them to us on our 14th birthday. He said we would have had them sooner, only they were rather tricky to get right. Apparently, Hephaestus himself spent large parts of two years working on them. They were indestructible," she concluded wistfully, eyes now boring a hole in her blankets.

Just that short story had been enough to wipeout the good mood she'd been in. Elise now had a lump in her throat that felt like the boulder she'd used to anchor the weapon for its trip to the depths. She willed herself not to cry. And normally, if she concentrated hard enough, she really could bury the tears inside. She could almost pretend that it had been someone else's memory, watching as the gold metal glinted in the sunlight one last time as it disappeared…

"Was indestructible?" Ezra cut into her thoughts, his voice polite but also probing, "That's not a phrase you hear every day." He realized she was upset, but it would actually prove important that they talk about this.

Elise could feel his gaze on her and knew he wasn't letting her leave the story there. So she let out a shaky sigh and attempted to still her nerves again. After all, just a few hours of restless sleep and an IV drip didn't mean she was completely herself again. Well, she _really_ hadn't been herself for a long time. But who was counting those days anymore? "Who knows?" she said, scowling and idly drawing circles on her blankets, "I…I dropped into Long Island Sound when I…when I…" Her voice faltered and she bit her tongue hard. She glanced up at Ezra.

"When you joined the Hunt," he finished quietly, eyes heavy with understanding. She almost got the feeling that he'd wanted to end that with another phrase. Maybe the reason she'd joined the Hunt for example. But he hadn't.

"Yea," murmured Elise gratefully, "I use one of their standard issue silver bows now."

Ezra nodded and she thought the topic was closed. That was good, considering the loss of that fine weapon haunted her almost as much as the other losses she'd suffered in the past. As if sensing her pain, Corona returned to the cots effortlessly and nudged the girl with her head. This time, Elise accepted the hellhound's company easily, gently running her hand along the beast's back and flank.

"Don't be shy about going harder," Ezra urged her, "Corona appreciates a nice rubdown."

Elise responded by pouring all her swirling emotions into it, even shifting her hand out of the sling (when Ezra had turned away) in order to get a better grip on the smooth grey dog. She noticed he'd gotten up and was moving things in the background, but remained focused on the small square of bedding in front of her like it was the only thing on Earth. Corona whined happily.

After a while Ezra cleared his throat and called out casually, "So uh… how's that Huntress bow been working out for ya?"

"Fine," replied Elise, still not looking up, "It's magical in its own right you know. Lady Artemis designed them herself."

"Yea?" he questioned, bent over a large duffel bag on the floor, "So uh…no room for improvements then?" His tone was innocent, but Elise suddenly detected another level to the conversation. She stopped patting Corona and immediately gave him her full attention. Something about petting the dog had, for the time being, succeeded in un-clouding her thoughts. He came back over to her, holding a small black silk drawstring bag.

The younger demigod's countenance was troubled. To Elise, it almost seemed like he was embarrassed. "Look uh…I'm going to give you something right now. Something we've been holding on to for a while on Dad's orders. Just…whatever you do…don't freak ok?" he asked nervously. Elise's face was blank on purpose. This wasn't going to be just any gift.

Instead of waiting for her to agree, Ezra quickly dropped the bag into her lap and hovered next to the bed. The tension coming off him was palpable, but Elise couldn't understand why. It wasn't like he could possibly have…

She drew back the strings and allowed the object to fall into her palm. Automatically she unclenched. The object in her hand was a beautiful watch. The object's dark red rectangular dial with the golden Roman numerals circling the edges was encased in gold and the deep red leather strap had gold details highlighting the crocodile pattern cracks stamped into its surface. A miniature circle in the dial's center also told the time down to the second if you needed it. Elise held the object carefully and glanced at Ezra. "What is this Cowen?" she asked suspiciously, "Another bow or something?" She certainly knew a magical object when she saw one. The only good thing was it wasn't what she had feared. Her old weapon had turned into a gold fountain pen with a black leather grip when not in use.

The teenage camper recognized the use of his last name only, and for the first time to boot, which meant she wasn't messing around. "No," he said plainly, looking her directly in the eye, "Same bow. Just repurposed a bit."

Elise's blood ran cold. She promptly dropped the watch onto the bed so that no part of it was touching her. No, she thought stubbornly, it's a sick joke is all. Stupid kid, he doesn't know the details of what happened on the quest. He doesn't know how that… that _thing_ failed me when I needed it most. He doesn't realize how I can't as much as look at it without being reminded of Adam.

Ezra gave her a pitying look. He could tell that the old weapon was obviously tied to more than nostalgic memories for her, but she'd had to know the truth eventually.

"Prove it," she demanded suddenly, unable to keep the edge of fear out of her voice, "Let's see it as the bow." Ezra wordlessly stooped down and pressed a trigger switch on the back of the watch. The piece of jewelry rapidly sprung into action, and after a few whirs and clicks… there it lay. Her old bow. It even still had the two ding marks below the grip from what had been a particularly stubborn and vicious Stymphalian bird. A quick look at her hands confirmed that she still bore the scars from that fight as well.

She glanced sideways at the beautiful weapon again, still torn up by its sudden appearance. Yea, it had seen her through some tight scraps, but against Actaeon… disaster. Two snapped bow strings, not enough power to penetrate the revengeful hunter's magical armor, the exploding arrow…

No, she thought, visibly cringing, this is the start of that slippery slope called guilt remember? If you blame your weapon, you blame yourself for her death all over again. It was Actaeon (with Nemesis's aid) that doomed us all. But images of everything that had gone wrong 19 years ago swam through Elise's head all the same. She reached out a shaky hand and closed her fingers over the smooth leather grip. It was red leather now, instead of black. No doubt to match the watch. The weapon hummed underneath her fingers with a life that marked it as her own. It had been that way in the past too. If she'd picked up Adam's bow for example, she wouldn't have felt any hum. That had always been the easiest way to tell them apart. Well, before the Stymphalian bird attack that is.

"How is this even possible?" she murmured wondrously, turning the weapon over in her hands as she spoke. Every second she held it, Elise found that her trepidation about returning to it slowly slipped away. There was power in this bow…even more power than there had been in summer of '96.

Ezra smiled down at her, finally starting to believe that she wasn't about to go crazy or bolt out of bed to throw it back in the Sound. "Well, to be honest the whole thing was rather easy," he explained, "What with Percy and Leo around. Once they'd located it on the ocean floor, it was just a simple retrieval for Percy."

Elise pried her gaze from the weapon and stared at the boy. "Who the hell is Percy? Somebody around here train up a hippocampus or something?" I mean, she had known those friendly water creatures could be quite helpful, but this was amazing.

The 17-year-old camper's face immediately went slack with surprise, enough to tell her she was totally off base…but nothing else. Then he started to laugh, just starting with a few snickers…but ending with tears of mirth trickling out of his eyes. "Oh Gods Princess, that's a good one!" he said heartily, glancing her way. But Elise's expression remained blank, causing him to straighten up and take a turn staring her way. "You…you don't know about Percy Jackson?" he stammered incredulously, "Gods…just how deep in the woods were you woman?"

The Huntress reddened. Where she had been for the last 10 years wasn't a place one could find on any map she'd ever seen. In fact, up until 3 weeks ago, she'd been as off the grid as one could possibly be. But she didn't see any reason why she had go about explaining this to Ezra, at least not yet anyways. So, switching gears, she said, "Never mind my saga. Just tell me about this Percy Jackson…guy?"

"Uh ok…so short version," said Ezra, thinking hard, "Let's just say Percy Jackson is more than just your average demigod. In fact, he's basically the greatest hero Camp Half-Blood's produced in several generations. He defeated Lord Kronos in the Second Titan War and was part of the Seven who stopped Gaea from rising four years later."

Elise couldn't help but be taken aback. Two wars in four years? Had this been what Nemesis had meant all those years ago, about the scales being set to swing hard against Olympus? Had Actaeon really been just a taste of the power struggles to come? She shuddered to think that her old quest's failures had helped speed up two, no doubt ugly and grief-filled conflicts. Obviously, she owned this Percy Jackson fellow for more that retrieving her longbow. For he had apparently succeeded in cleaning up a mess she'd surely had a big hand in creating. Suddenly, she felt way too restless and way too guilty to be sitting in bed. She had missed two wars! There was a young man out there who had come out alive versus a Primordial and the most powerful Titan of them all. And here she was, still without a plan to save her own twin brother after all these years. It was disgraceful.

"Where can I find Percy?" she asked briskly, swinging her legs over the side of the cot and starting to untangle herself from the budding young physician's equipment, "He must be a very powerful and competent warrior to have matched wits with both the Time Lord and the Earth Mother. Is he an Athena or an Ares? Or maybe a particularly brawny and clever son of Hephaestus? A Hephaestus could drive a submarine to the bottom of the Sound I suppose." The Huntress was half-way to her feet…until the Earth lurched suddenly.

"Whoa! Steady on Princess," exclaimed Ezra, already with a hand on her good shoulder for balance, "You can't _just_ go find Percy."

"Why on Earth not?" retorted Elise stubbornly, "I mean…alright, I got it. No sudden movements yet. But if you just help me up, I'm sure I'll be fine." Upon seeing his scowl, she added, "Look, for you, Doctor Boy, I'll promise to go slow. Huntress's honor. Now, please just tell me what cabin I'm aiming for?"

Ezra sighed and cocked his head in amusement. Elise frowned. "You really never quit, do you?" he asked incredulously, "Can't you think of a single other reason why I might be stopping you from charging out of here half-cocked? Percy Jackson isn't here. Percy Jackson, a son of Poseidon by the way, is 22 and attending college in New Rome with his girlfriend."

Elise leaned back on the cot again and forgot that she'd been looking for her boots. There was just too much information in that last sentence for her to process it all right away. A son of Poseidon? That was news. Was it possible that all of the Big Three had claimed children while she was gone? Suddenly, the Hades cabin she'd sort of seen last night was making a bit more sense Also, a college in New Rome? Where the hell was New Rome? Demigods congregated safely in a place that wasn't Camp Half-Blood?

Ezra Cowen sighed again in bemusement. Maybe it was time to really fill this girl in on some major demigod current events (well sort of current). To be honest, she wasn't going to get very far in this new and improved Camp Half-Blood without them. He shared a glance with Corona and the great dog promptly bounded over to him. The teen ruffled her head and grabbed the, now stone cold, plate of eggs off of the tray. Corona knew what to do next, breathing directly onto the bottom of the porcelain until steam started rising off the top again.

"Better than a microwave hellhound breath," the camper explained proudly, handing Elise the warmed plate. He glanced at his watch and added, "Well, breakfast is good and over at this point. But get comfortable Princess. You still need to eat some more and I need roughly half an hour to sum up the last ten years. Keep in mind though; most of the war stuff will be secondhand. I only got here a month or so after it all ended. Anyway a talk, a shower and a change of clothes and soon enough you'll be eating lunch with Chiron. I sent him an Iris message this morning and he'll be back from his business and expecting you at noon. Very surprised of course, sorry to ruin that moment for you, but he wasn't due back until tomorrow and I knew you'd flake on me if you had to wait that long. Anyway, he was also visibly pleased you're not dead. He must've liked you loads." He smirked over that last joke.

Elise gaped at him and grabbed a fork off the table. She wasn't sure if she just needed it for her eggs, in order to stab him to death... or both. But then, Corona returned to the cots and settled in at her feet and Ezra gave her his best winning smile. She growled and stuck the fork in the eggs. They were delicious and the hellhound provided enough warmth and stability that the lonely Huntress was momentarily at peace again. She supposed a quick history lesson could be beneficial. Especially if Chiron wasn't even back yet. And she already knew Ezra was a good story teller. Relax Lise, she told herself, it's alright to just relax and let the plan come in time. You have help if you accept it…you don't have to do this alone. Mentally agreeing, she looked up and gave him a grudging nod.

"Right," he said, taking his cue, "So the Second Titan War…"


End file.
